Announcements

MDPI is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 15th International Conference on Surface Engineering, which will be held in Tianjin, China, from 9 to 11 May 2025.

The conference will be hosted by the Surface Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, and the theme will be “Surface Engineering Technology Innovation to Promote the Development of New Quality Productivity”.

As the most influential academic conference in the field of surface engineering in China, the National Surface Engineering Conference has been successfully held for 14 consecutive sessions. Previous conferences have attracted many domestic experts, scholars and technicians engaged in surface engineering research, teaching, and engineering applications, and the success of the conference has played a very important role in promoting the development of China’s surface engineering discipline and the technological progress of related industries.

The following MDPI journals will be present at the conference:

• Coatings;
• Lubricants;
• Metals.

If you are planning to attend the conference, we would love to connect with you! Our delegates are eager to meet you in person and answer any questions that you may have. For more details about the conference, please visit the following website: https://2025.bmgc.cn/. We look forward to seeing you there!

Conference: The First National Conference on Surface and Interface Science of the Chinese Chemical Society
Date: 9–12 May 2025
Location: Chengdu, China

MDPI will attend the First National Conference on Surface and Interface Science of the Chinese Chemical Society as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Chengdu, China, from 9 to 12 May 2025. This conference will comprise 22 sub-forums on topics such as surface interface construction, surface interface characterization, surface interface theory, device surface interfaces, energy surface interfaces, and catalytic surface interfaces. It will also include the “International Forum on Surface Molecules”, the “Forum for Women Scientists on Surface Interfaces”, and the “Ph.D. Forum on Surface Interfaces”. During the conference, the “Workshop on Surface Interface Science” will take place, inviting renowned experts and scholars to give lectures on three cutting-edge topics in surface interface science.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Coatings;
• Colloids and Interfaces;
• Lubricants;
• Molecules;
• Surfaces;
• Applied Nano;
• Construction Materials;
• Materials;
• Sensors.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at our booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.chemsoc.org.cn/meeting/NCSI1/a6362.html.

Conference: The 2025 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS)
Date: 26–30 May 2025
Location: Strasbourg, France

MDPI will attend the 2025 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Strasbourg, France, from 26 to 30 May 2025.

The 2025 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) is organized by the European Materials Research Society and Foundation Jean-Marie Lehn.

The focus of the scientific program will be both on fundamental investigations and technological applications, providing an international forum for discussing recent advances relating to the different aspects of the promotion of innovation.

Topics include the following:

• Materials for photonics and electronics;
• Nanocomposites and hybrid materials;
• Materials for sustainable energy;
• Advanced characterization and computational design;
• Ecological and biomaterials.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Nanomaterials;
• Applied Nano;
• C;
• Crystals;
• CMD;
• Coatings;
• Construction Materials;
• Fibers;
• Molecules;
• Nanomanufacturing;
• Symmetry.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #28 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.european-mrs.com/meetings/2025-spring-meeting.

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

We are delighted to present a list of title story articles selected for display at the top of the Coatings (ISSN: 2079-6412) homepage for the second half of 2024. These articles cover a wide range of topics, including polymeric coatings, tribological properties, surface wettability, femtosecond laser modification, sputter deposition, hydrophobic coatings, plasma deposition, antifouling coatings, PVD and CVD, and wear resistant, to name a few. We hope you will find something of interest among these exceptional publications.

1. “The Use of Polyurethane Composites with Sensing Polymers as New Coating Materials for Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Chemical Sensors—Part II: Polyurethane Composites with Polylaurylmetacrylate, Polyisobutene, and Poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-vinylidene Fluoride): Coating Results, Relative Sensor Responses and Adhesion Analysis”
by Mauro dos Santos de Carvalho, Michael Rapp, Achim Voigt and Marian Dirschka
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070778
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/778

2. “Tribological Properties and Surface Wettability of Coatings Produced on the Mg-AZ31B Alloy by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation”
by Mateusz Niedźwiedź, Marek Bara, Joanna Korzekwa, Sławomir Kaptacz, Maciej Sowa, Aleksander Olesiński and Wojciech Simka
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070780
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/780

3. “Characterization of Mechanical Properties and Surface Wettability of Epoxy Resin/Benzoxazine Composites in a Simulated Acid Rain Environment”
by Poom Narongdej, Riley Gomez, Daniel Tseng, Ehsan Barjasteh and Sara Moghtadernejad
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101279
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1279

4. “Laser Control of Specular and Diffuse Reflectance of Thin Aluminum Film-Isolator-Metal Structures for Anti-Counterfeiting and Plasmonic Color Applications”
by Michał P. Nowak, Bogusz Stępak, Mateusz Pielach, Yuriy Stepanenko, Tomasz Wojciechowski, Bartosz Bartosewicz, Urszula Chodorow, Marcin Jakubaszek, Przemysław Wachulak and Piotr Nyga
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101298
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1298

5. “First-Principles Study on the Influence of Crystal Structures on the Interface Properties of Graphene/Titanium Composites”
by Xiuli Han, Rui Wang, Pengchao Kang, Wanying Li and Gaohui Wu
Coatings 2024, 14(10), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14101293
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/10/1293

6. “Biochemical and Microbiological Properties of the Cotton–Copper Composite Material Obtained via Sputter Deposition”
by Małgorzata Świerczyńska, Zdzisława Mrozińska, Michał Juszczak, Katarzyna Woźniak and Marcin H. Kudzin
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070900
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/900

7. “Durable Superhydrophobic Aluminum Surfaces against Immersion and Hot Steam Impact: A Comparative Evaluation of Different Hydrophobization Methods and Coatings”
by Panagiotis Sarkiris, Kosmas Ellinas and Evangelos Gogolides
Coatings 2024, 14(7), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14070908
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/7/908

8. “Shrouding Gas Plasma Deposition Technique for Developing Low-Friction, Wear-Resistant WS₂-Zn Thin Films on Unfilled PEEK: The Relationship Between Process and Coating Properties”
by Dietmar Kopp, Christine Bandl, Reinhard Kaindl, Thomas Prethaler, Anna Maria Coclite and Wolfgang Waldhauser
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1365; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111365
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/11/1365

9. “Review of Progress in Marine Anti-Fouling Coatings: Manufacturing Techniques and Copper- and Silver-Doped Antifouling Coatings”
by Xiaolong Shi, Hua Liang and Yanzhou Li
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111454
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/11/1454

10. “Analysis of Wear Mechanisms Under Cutting Parameters: Influence of Double Layer TiAlN/TiN PVD and TiCN/Al₂O₃ Chemical Vapor Deposition-Coated Tools on Milling of AISI D2 Steel”
by Gustavo M. Minquiz, N. E. González-Sierra, Javier Flores Méndez, Ana C. Piñón Reyes, Mario Moreno Moreno, Alfredo Morales-Sánchez, José Alberto Luna López, Zaira Jocelyn Hernandez-Simon and Claudia Denicia Carral
Coatings 2024, 14(12), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14121491
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/12/1491

We are delighted to present a list of title story articles selected for display at the top of the Coatings (ISSN: 2079-6412) homepage for the first half of 2024. These articles cover a wide range of topics, including coatings for energy, laser processing, food packaging, diamond-like carbon coatings, pulsed laser deposition, surface characterization, tribological properties, corrosion, and hard coatings, to name a few. We hope you will find something of interest among these exceptional publications.

1. “Fabrication of Piezoelectric ZnO Nanowires on Laser Textured Copper Substrate to Enhance Catalytic Properties”
by Hongbin Wang, Rui Zhou, Huangping Yan and Hongjun Liu
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1963; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111963
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/11/1963

2. “Using an Al-Incorporated Deep Black Pigment Coating to Enhance the Solar Absorptance of Iron Oxide-Rich Particles”
by Gözde Alkan, Peter Mechnich and Johannes Pernpeintner
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111925
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/11/1925

3. “Mechanisms of Action and Preservation Effects of Packaging Systems for Mushrooms: Novel Approaches to Preserve Irish Edible Mushrooms”
by Tigist Tadesse Shonte, Mehraj Fatema Mulla, Lorraine Foley and Shivani Pathania
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020172
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/2/172

4. “Study of the Industrial Application of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings Deposited on Advanced Tool Steels”
by Eneko Barba, Adrián Claver, Francesc Montalà, José F. Palacio, Carmelo J. Luis-Pérez, Neus Sala, Carles Colominas and José Antonio García
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020159
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/2/159

5. “Bioactivity and Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite on Ti6Al4V and Si(100) Surfaces by Pulsed Laser Deposition”
by Salizhan Kylychbekov, Yaran Allamyradov, Zikrulloh Khuzhakulov, Inomjon Majidov, Simran Banga, Justice ben Yosef, Liviu Duta and Ali Oguz Er
Coatings 2023, 13(10), 1681; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13101681
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/13/10/1681

6. “Tribocatalytic Reaction Enabled by TiO₂ Nanoparticle for MoDTC-Derived Tribofilm Formation at ta-C/Steel Contact”
by Daiki Matsukawa, Jae-Hyeok Park, Woo-Young Lee, Takayuki Tokoroyama, Jae-Il Kim, Ryoichi Ichino and Noritsugu Umehara
Coatings 2024, 14(6), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14060773
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/6/773

7. “Enhancing UV Radiation Resilience of DLC-Coated Stainless Steel with TiO₂: A Dual-Layer Approach”
by Paulo Fabrício Macário, Carolina Hahn da Silveira, Angela Aparecida Moraes Vieira, André Ricardo Marcondes, Francisco das Chagas Marques, Guilhermino José Macêdo Fechine and Lúcia Vieira
Coatings 2024, 14(6), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14060777
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/14/6/777

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.

The editorial team at Coatings extends our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated reviewers whose expertise and commitment have been key to the journal's success in 2024. Last year, Coatings received 7998 review reports from 3356 reviewers representing 95 countries and regions worldwide.

To recognize the invaluable time, effort, and attention to detail that each reviewer dedicates,  Coatings expresses its sincere gratitude through an annual acknowledgment of reviewers. As a further token of appreciation, all reviewers are eligible for the Outstanding Reviewer Award, which honors their essential role in enhancing the quality of our publications.

We are honored to recognize the reviewers who allowed us to publish their names each year. The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

Nine new journals covering multiple subjects launched their inaugural issues in December 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the Editorial Board Members, and each journal will ensure its high-quality output by using excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong City University of Hong Kong, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue	Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory;  convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue	clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue	early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) if you would like to create more new journals.